Vaccines and immunity

Recommended vaccines vary depending on which country you are visiting: if you are going somewhere far-flung, the doctor will want to know which regions you intend to travel through, and what kind of accommodation you're going to be staying in.

In general, most doctors do not advise vaccinating children under the age of six months for fear of setting off an allergic reaction.

The only vaccine generally given to children under the age of one is the Hib vaccine, which can be given as early as six weeks of age, but this does not give any specific protection against diseases encountered in a foreign country.

What most doctors would say is that breast-feeding is the best immunisation of all.

Not only are you passing on your own antibodies, you are protecting your baby from the risk of typhoid, dysentery or stomach problems from local water, formula milk or food.

Minimise risk by boiling all water before giving it to your baby or cleaning their bottles and teats.

The yellow fever vaccine should not be given to a baby under four months old and from four to six months it should be given only in very unusual circumstances.

Babies aged six to nine months should be injected against yellow fever only if they cannot avoid travelling to areas of risk and when a high level of protection against mosquito bites is not possible.

Babies over nine months old should be vaccinated if they are travelling to South America or Africa.